METHOD OF PROVIDING CUSTOMER SERVICES

• US 20100100490A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TAO Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lewis-Hawkins, Virginia
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/304
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Customer services are provided by storing predetermined trigger information in association with predetermined content. A real-time text chat established over a network between at least one agent device and at least one customer device is monitoring for the predetermined trigger information using a monitoring computer. The predetermined content is automatically forwarded to the at least one customer device when the predetermined trigger information is detected in the monitoring.

Claims

1. A method of providing customer service, comprising:

storing predetermined trigger information in association with predetermined content;

monitoring, for the predetermined trigger information, using a monitoring computer, a real-time text chat established over a network between at least one agent device and at least one customer device; and

forwarding, automatically to the at least one customer device, the predetermined content when the predetermined trigger information is detected in the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein an agent and a customer respectively enter and exchange information across the network using the at least one agent device and the at least one customer device.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the predetermined trigger information is simultaneously routed as part of the chat to both the monitoring computer and an intended recipient among the agent using the at least one agent device and the customer using the at least one customer device.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein at least part of the chat involves the monitoring computer exchanging information with the at least one customer device without active involvement of the agent using the at least one agent device.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the chat is displayed on the at least one agent device during the at least part of the chat when the monitoring computer exchanges information with the at least one customer device without active involvement of the agent using the at least one agent device.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the at least one customer device comprises at least one of a computer, a wireless communication device, and a personal digital assistant.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading an action file to the monitoring computer based on the predetermined trigger information being detected in the monitoring.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the forwarding, automatically to the at least one customer device, the predetermined content, is performed based on an action specified in the action file which is, itself, uploaded to the monitoring computer based on the predetermined trigger information being detected in the monitoring.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically scheduling a subsequent communication session with a customer using the at least one customer device based on detecting the predetermined trigger information in the monitoring.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by the monitoring computer, an action file based on detecting the predetermined trigger information in the monitoring.

11. The method of claim 10,

wherein the action file specifies actions to be performed including forwarding, automatically to the at least one customer device, the predetermined content.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by the monitoring computer, a content file based on detecting the predetermined trigger information in the monitoring.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the content file includes the predetermined content that is automatically forwarded to the at least one customer device based on detecting the predetermined trigger information in the monitoring.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the predetermined content that is automatically forwarded varies based on a context of the chat detected by the monitoring computer.

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein the forwarded content is an offer of a product for sale.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

enabling modification of the offer by the customer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein a profile of a customer using the at least one customer device is provided to the monitoring computer, and the predetermined content forwarded to the customer varies based on the profile of the customer.

18. The method of claim 2,

wherein identities of both the agent and the customer are provided to the monitoring computer, and the predetermined content forwarded to the customer varies based on the identifies of the agent and the customer.

19. A tangible computer-readable medium for providing customer service, comprising:

a tangible memory that stores predetermined trigger information in association with predetermined content;

a monitoring code segment, recorded on the computer-readable medium, that, when executed, monitors for the predetermined trigger information a real-time text chat established over a network between at least one agent device and at least one customer device; and

a forwarding code segment, recorded on the computer-readable medium, that, when executed, forwards, automatically to the at least one customer device, the predetermined content when the predetermined trigger information is detected in the monitoring.

20. A monitoring system for providing customer service, comprising:

a tangible memory that stores predetermined trigger information in association with predetermined content; and

a monitoring computer that monitors, for the predetermined trigger information, a real-time text chat established over a network between at least one agent device and at least one customer device;

wherein the monitoring computer forwards, automatically to the at least one customer device, the predetermined content when the predetermined trigger information is detected in the monitoring.